Here you’ll find 44 Books that start with J, organized from “J” to “Just Kids”. The selection spans fiction and nonfiction, classics and contemporary works useful for readers, librarians, bloggers and teachers.
Books that start with J are titles whose first letter is J and that span genres, ages, and cultural traditions. From children’s favorites to literary memoirs like “Just Kids,” J titles often highlight memorable voices and enduring characters.
Below you’ll find the table with Title, Author, Year, Genre and Notes.
Title: Displays the exact book title as published so you can identify, search for, or add the correct title to reading lists.
Author: Lists the credited author(s) to help you find editions, compare works, and explore other books by the same writer.
Year: Shows the original publication year or first edition year so you can place the work in historical and cultural context.
Genre: Identifies the primary genre to help you filter by interest, whether you prefer fiction, memoir, mystery, or children’s books.
Notes: Provides brief context such as awards, series information, or notable editions that aid selection and further research.
Books that start with J
Title
Author(s)
First publication year
Primary genre
Jane Eyre
Charlotte Brontë
1847
Literary fiction
Jurassic Park
Michael Crichton
1990
Science fiction thriller
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Susanna Clarke
2004
Historical fantasy
Jude the Obscure
Thomas Hardy
1895
Literary fiction
Julius Caesar
William Shakespeare
c.1599
Drama / Tragedy
Jo’s Boys
Louisa May Alcott
1886
Children’s / Coming-of-age
James and the Giant Peach
Roald Dahl
1961
Children’s fantasy
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Jules Verne
1864
Science fiction / Adventure
Jaws
Peter Benchley
1974
Thriller
Jitterbug Perfume
Tom Robbins
1984
Literary fiction / Magical realism
Joseph Andrews
Henry Fielding
1742
Comic novel
Just Kids
Patti Smith
2010
Memoir
Junk
Melvin Burgess
1996
Young adult / Realist
Junkie
William S. Burroughs
1953
Autobiographical novel
J.R.
William Gaddis
1975
Literary fiction / Satire
Journey to the End of the Night
Louis-Ferdinand Céline
1932
Literary fiction / Modernist
Johnny Tremain
Esther Forbes
1943
Historical fiction / Children’s
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Richard Bach
1970
Novella / Inspirational
Jazz
Toni Morrison
1992
Historical fiction / Literary
Jasmine
Bharati Mukherjee
1989
Literary fiction
Judas
Amos Oz
2014
Literary fiction
Joyland
Stephen King
2013
Crime / Horror
Jacob Have I Loved
Katherine Paterson
1980
Children’s / Young adult
Jasper Jones
Craig Silvey
2009
Literary fiction / Mystery
John Adams
David McCullough
2001
Biography
Johnny Got His Gun
Dalton Trumbo
1939
Anti-war novel
Juliet, Naked
Nick Hornby
2009
Contemporary fiction
Jacob’s Room
Virginia Woolf
1922
Modernist fiction
Jimmy Corrigan
Chris Ware
2000
Graphic novel
Jerusalem
Alan Moore
2016
Literary fiction / Metafiction
Jamaica Inn
Daphne du Maurier
1936
Gothic thriller
Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi
Geoff Dyer
2004
Fiction / Travel
Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit
P. G. Wodehouse
1954
Comic fiction
Jubilee
Margaret Walker
1966
Historical fiction
J
Howard Jacobson
2014
Dystopian literary fiction
Jewel
Bret Lott
1991
Literary fiction
Jar City
Arnaldur Indriðason
2000
Crime fiction
Janesville
Amy Goldstein
2017
Narrative nonfiction
Job: A Comedy of Justice
Robert A. Heinlein
1984
Science fiction / Satire
Journey to the West
Wu Cheng’en
c.1592
Mythic novel / Adventure
Jingo
Terry Pratchett
1997
Fantasy / Satire
Jock of the Bushveld
Sir Percy FitzPatrick
1907
Memoir / Animal story
John Dies at the End
David Wong
2007
Horror / Comic fiction
Jean-Christophe
Romain Rolland
1904
Literary epic
Descriptions
Jane Eyre
Classic novel about an orphaned governess’s struggle for independence and love; a landmark of feminist English fiction.
Jurassic Park
Techno-thriller about resurrected dinosaurs on an island; blockbuster bestseller that inspired Spielberg’s film.
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Alternate Regency England where two magicians revive practical magic; acclaimed, award-winning modern fantasy.
Jude the Obscure
Tragic critique of class, education, and marriage in Victorian England; caused public controversy on release.
Julius Caesar
Shakespeare’s Roman play about politics, ambition, and betrayal; staple of theater and literary study.
Jo’s Boys
Sequel to Little Men following the grown pupils of Plumfield as they become adults; sentimental post–Civil War tale.
James and the Giant Peach
Whimsical adventure of a boy’s ocean voyage inside a giant peach with eccentric insect companions.
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Pioneering sci-fi adventure about an expedition into Earth’s interior; proto-science-fiction classic.
Jaws
Seaside town terrorized by a great white shark; bestselling thriller that spawned a landmark film.
Jitterbug Perfume
Playful, sensual novel weaving immortality, perfume, and myth across centuries; a cult favorite.
Joseph Andrews
Early English comic picaresque following a virtuous footman’s misadventures; foundational comic novel.
Just Kids
Intimate memoir of Patti Smith’s friendship with Robert Mapplethorpe; winner of the National Book Award.
Junk
Unflinching YA novel about teenage heroin addiction; controversial on release and winner of the Carnegie Medal.
Junkie
Raw, semi-autobiographical account of addiction; influential work of the Beat generation.
J.R.
Dense, polyphonic satire of capitalism and media; won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Journey to the End of the Night
Bleak, darkly comic antiwar novel notable for its innovative colloquial prose.
Johnny Tremain
Coming-of-age tale set during the American Revolution; Newbery Medal winner.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Allegorical fable about a seagull’s pursuit of flight and self-improvement; 1970s cultural phenomenon.
Jazz
Lyrical novel set in 1920s Harlem exploring love, memory, and violence; part of Morrison’s acclaimed oeuvre.
Jasmine
Immigrant saga following a young Indian woman’s reinventions and survival across cultures.
Judas
Intimate Israeli novel about love, ideology, and betrayal; character-driven moral exploration.
Joyland
Nostalgic coming-of-age mystery set in a 1970s amusement park, blending suspense and melancholy.
Jacob Have I Loved
Chesapeake Island coming-of-age novel about sibling rivalry and self-worth; Newbery Medal winner.
Jasper Jones
Australian coming-of-age mystery confronting race, small-town secrets, and moral courage.
John Adams
Thorough, readable biography of America’s second president by a two-time Pulitzer winner.
Johnny Got His Gun
Harrowing experimental narrative of a WWI soldier left without limbs or senses; enduring pacifist classic.
Juliet, Naked
Witty, bittersweet novel about fandom, relationships, and midlife reinvention; showcases Hornby’s comic empathy.
Jacob’s Room
Fragmentary, impressionistic portrait of a young man through memory and absence; a key modernist work.
Jimmy Corrigan
Formally inventive graphic novel about loneliness, family, and memory; widely acclaimed in comics and literary circles.
Jerusalem
Ambitious, experimental novel exploring history, family, and metaphysics in dense, genre-defying prose.
Jamaica Inn
Atmospheric Cornish tale of smuggling, danger, and a young woman’s moral struggle; du Maurier’s popular suspense classic.
Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi
Fragmented witty novella about art, aging, and travel between Venice and Varanasi; a playful hybrid work.
Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit
One of Wodehouse’s Jeeves novels starring Bertie Wooster and his brilliant valet; classic British comic farce.
Jubilee
Epic novel based on family history about an enslaved woman’s life and survival in 19th-century America.
J
Satirical, elegiac novel set in post-plague Britain exploring memory, censorship, and human connection.
Jewel
Southern family drama about trauma, love, and resilience; adapted into a film starring Farrah Fawcett.
Jar City
Icelandic noir introducing Detective Erlendur; bleak, atmospheric mystery with global reach.
Janesville
Investigative look at a Midwestern town coping with factory closure and economic change; human-centered reporting.
Job: A Comedy of Justice
Playful, philosophical SF reworking the Book of Job across alternate realities with satirical bite.
Journey to the West
Ming-era Chinese epic of the Monkey King and a pilgrim’s quest; one of China’s Four Great Classical Novels.
Jingo
Discworld novel satirizing war, nationalism, and media hysteria with Pratchett’s sharp comedic voice.
Jock of the Bushveld
Beloved South African animal memoir recounting the adventures and loyalty of a treasured dog.
John Dies at the End
Cult horror-comedy mixing supernatural chaos, absurdist humor, and noir elements; began as an online serial.
Jean-Christophe
Ten-volume bildungsroman following a musician’s life across Europe; monumental early 20th-century serial novel.
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